Benoit Marion cherished life as a Saskatchewan Roughrider before he even played a down for the Green and White.
“I remember the first game I played as a Rider,” says the 29-year-old defensive lineman, rewinding to an Oct. 12 regular-season appearance at Mosaic Stadium. “It was the B.C. game.
“I remember, right after the national anthem, being very emotional. I had another opportunity to do what I love and to play in that stadium in that province for those fans, who we all know across the league are very special.”
Marion had been signed just eight days earlier by Saskatchewan, which became his third stop of the 2024 CFL season.
He opened the campaign with Toronto, where he had played since 2021, and appeared in the Argonauts’ season opener.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder subsequently suited up for Hamilton, playing in eight games for the Tiger-Cats during “a whirlwind of a year.”
Next stop: Saskatchewan.
Marion appeared in the Roughriders’ final two regular-season games — registering one sack — and in both playoff contests.
He was so impressive, so quickly, that he earned a new contract. The deal was announced on Wednesday.
“When I signed in Saskatchewan with the Roughriders, it felt very easy and natural,” Marion says. “I think I fell in love with the game again.
“I felt like I could play freely and that I could really be myself.”
Head Coach Corey Mace knew all about Marion, having coached him in 2022 and 2023 while employed as the Argonauts’ defensive co-ordinator.
Marion also enjoyed a familiarity and comfortability with Roughriders assistant coaches Phillip Daniels (defensive line) and Kent Maugeri (special teams co-ordinator).
“The mental aspect is a big part of football and sometimes being in the right place and having the right people, personally, and feeling like you have support can make a difference,” Marion says from his hometown of Montreal.
“Coach Mace, Coach Daniels and Coach Maugeri were all people who I knew and kept building relationships with after I got there.
“It was very, very easy for me to step in and just to make plays. I was very comfortable in Coach Mace’s system, having played for him for two years.
“Being able to play very fast and not think too much in that system definitely helped me in having a little bit of success and helping the team when I came in.”
Marion’s debut with the Roughriders was highlighted by a 39-8 victory over the Lions — a result that secured a home playoff game for the victors.
He added a sack, which was celebrated robustly, a fortnight in the regular-season finale.
“It was a very, very special moment and I’ll remember it for a while,” he says, “but now I’m excited to make more of those moments and more plays and more big sacks and more big tackles for losses for this team and the whole organization and the fan base.”
Marion was once noted as a playmaker on the ice.
As a strapping teenager, he was in the system of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Quebec Remparts.
“Hockey was always my first sport,” Marion says. “It’s obviously very big all across Canada. I think every Canadian starts their athletic journey on the ice.
“I really fell in love with it early on and I played high-level hockey up until I was basically 17, 18 years old. I had also started playing football in high school and I was doing both.
“At one point, I had to make a decision: Do I want to keep playing hockey at a high level and grind it out maybe as a third-line or fourth-line checker and not see a lot of ice time?”
Football was the winner, as was the University of Montreal’s football team by virtue of having recruited him.
Marion played for the Carabins from 2016 to 2019, registering 67 defensive tackles (including 20 for a loss) and 11 sacks in 25 U Sports games.
He was selected by Montreal in the third round (25th overall) of the 2020 CFL Draft, only to endure the cancellation of what would have been his rookie season due to COVID-19.
Marion ended up making his professional football debut with Toronto in October of 2021.
On Aug. 6, 2022, he recovered a blocked punt and sprinted 24 yards for a touchdown against the Tiger-Cats.
Marion was in the lineup when the Argonauts capped the 2022 season by defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24-23 in the 109th Grey Cup game, played at Mosaic Stadium — the very same venue at which he soaked in the surroundings before making his first on-field appearance as a Roughrider.
Within a month of that Oct. 12 game, Marion was informed that he was part of the team’s long-term blueprint.
“I had some good conversations at the end of the year at the exit meetings,” he recalls.
“One of the things that really stuck with me was the Assistant GM, Kyle Carson, telling me I really fit in what they’re looking for from a Riders player. When they’re evaluating players, they’re looking at, ‘Is this guy a Roughrider?’ They told me that’s something they really see in me.
“The culture and what’s building here is something very special. I believe it. I’ve been part of championship organizations and I’ve been part of winning teams. The formula is there now, so that was one of the deciding factors.
“I was very eager and excited to sign. That was my first choice — to come back and play in Saskatchewan.
“I enjoyed and loved it so much that I’m really excited for May coming around and just being able to suit up and play again with the guys.”
